I’m going to do something a little different today and start with some fun facts about me.

I’m obsessed with KitKats.

I’m super uncoordinated. (My family doesn’t even flinch anymore when I fall down the stairs.)

Bobbi Brown has quickly become one of my favorite makeup brands.

ICYMI, last month, I joined the oh so lovely Megan, of Sweet Sauce Blog, and the ultra-fab Christina, of Tiramisu for Breakfast for a fun event with Bobbi Brown in Nordstrom, Tysons Corner. We got to learn about the brand from Bobbi Brown reps, which was amazing. (I’m still pinching myself because I’m still in shock.)

We got a rundown on all things beauty from the amazing Bobbi Brown makeup artist, Tia Hebron. (Who you should totally be following.) With such an amiable personality, I enjoyed getting a mini-master course from her.

Fun fact #1 about Bobbi Brown – You’ll never see a contouring kit. In fact, Bobbi, herself, explained that she doesn’t like the idea of contouring because, “It’s telling people there’s something wrong with their face,” in an interview with The Cut.

Recently, I’ve been really into the “no-makeup” makeup look, which Bobbi is known for. In fact, that’s one of the reason I’m so drawn to Bobbi Brown. Each product is designed to make the wearer feel three important things: empowered, good and confident. They manage to do this in such a natural way, which I adore.

Skincare was a hot topic during our chat with Tia. We got into what each age group should be focused on in terms of beauty. She explained that while in your 20’s, you should be investing in your skincare, your 30s should be focused on starting your treatments. For the fantabulous forties and up, you should be mindful of color choices.

Being in my early 20s, with an irrational fear off aging, I’ve gone ahead and started my serum. I’ve been using the Intensive Skin Supplement, which is supposed to help with anti-aging. So far, I’m liking how plump my skin looks.

Fun fact #2 about Bobbi Brown – Bobbi Brown has a motto: Pretty Powerful. This means when you come to a counter, you’re already pretty!

Speaking of going to counters, I had the wonderful opportunity to get my makeup done by the wonderful Dajana at the counter. (If you’re in the area, you need to go see her!) The actual star of the show had to be the Sparkle Eyeshadow “AllSpice.” It’s the perfect everyday sparkle lid color for a natural pop.

Why I really loved my experience at the counter with Dajana is because we made sure there was a constant flow of communication between us. Oftentimes, people that go to the counter are very hesitant to voice their preferences in their makeup. In the words of Tia, “The time when you’re shopping for makeup is not the time to be passive.” Make sure you’re constantly telling the makeup artist what you do and don’t like because if you’re not honest about what you want, you’re not going to get the look you had hoped for.

Huge thanks to my friend, Chloe for coming and taking some pictures for me! Follow her YouTube Channel.

It’s so important for a brand to diversify their shade range because people come in more than 12 shades. (This may come as a shock to some drugstore brands and select high end brands.) As a woman of color, it’s very important to me for a brand to have a diverse range of shades, which is why I’m so excited about brands like Bobbi Brown, which make it a mission to be as inclusive as possible. Also, the foundation lasted all day, which made me love the entire experience even more.

The Long-Wear Weightless foundation is definitely a must-try for those of you that are looking for something medium to full coverage. Make sure you use a primer for your skin type! (Which, oftentimes is built-in to their moisturizers!)

The Giveaway

Surprise! Christina, Megan and I are hosting a giveaway with Bobbi Brown in Nordstrom Tysons Corner! You’ll have the opportunity to win the makeup used on me, valued at more than $150! (OMG, right?)

In order to win, follow along below. It’s the perfect time to upgrade your makeup drawer and it’s really simple to enter!

BONUS: leave a comment on my post about what you like the most about the makeup look we created!

DOUBLE BONUS: recreate one of our looks and tag us on Instagram this weekend. Just head to a Bobbi Brown makeup counter near you. Use can also use these hashtags: #KPforBobbiBrown, #SSforBobbiBrown, #TFBforBobbiBrown.

Winner announced Monday, March 12. We’ll announce it over on Instagram.

I was going through my makeup stash and found that I had finished a fair share of products. I thought it would be interesting to share my thoughts on these products and hopefully get your thoughts on these items.

First, lest talk about the Boscia Detoxifying Black Cleanser. This is actually the second bottle that I’ve purchased, so that should tell you a lot about my thoughts on this. I talked about this in my Best of 2016 post, so I won’t go too in-depth. However, I will say that this is one of my favorite cleansers that I have ever tried. And trust me when I say that I’ve used my fair share. I really enjoy the warming sensation that you get when you work this into your skin. That along with the active charcoal ingredients make my really feel like that I’m getting rid of all the toxins in my skin. If you’re on the hunt for a detoxifying cleanser, I would highly recommend you to get a sample of this from Sephora.

Next, we have the Peter Thomas Roth Irish Moor Mud Purifying Cleanser Gel. Much like the Boscia cleanser, this contains active charcoal which is great for getting impurities out of your skin. The only thing different is it does not have the warming effect as the Boscia cleanser, but it still foams up into a nice lather, making me feel like I’m getting a nice cleanse going. I’m a big fan of incorporating charcoal into my skin routine because I really feel that it helps to get all the toxins out, as I explained previously.

Another empty product is the Smashbox Brow Tech Matte Pencil in “Dark Brown.” I prefer brow pencils that twist up like this, rather than crayons because I feel like I waste less product, being that I don’t have to continuously sharpen it. I enjoyed this pencil, but I have to admit that it’s not my favorite. If you need something to compare it to, it’s similar to the Anastasia Brow Wiz, but this is much more stiff. I found this helpful when trying to get those really precise, hair-like strokes. At the beginning, I really enjoyed this and would have probably said that this was my favorite brow pencil on the market, but towards the end it crumbled up on me as I went to fill in my brows. I may give this another try, but as of right now, I’m not going to repurchase it.

The next product is the cult favorite, Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in “Caramel.” This has been raved about on nearly every blogger’s page so I’m going to keep this short. This is a great, buildable medium-to-full coverage concealer. You definitely need to set this, or you’re going to crease up. It sits nicely on the skin and I love it so much that I have already repurchased a backup.

This product is technically not empty, but I thought I should include it because I have such a small amount left. This is the Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick in “Warm Almond.” I also touched on this in my Best of 2016 post. I bought this back in September and I completely fell in love. It’s such a beautiful foundation. It gives off a nice, natural finish and it is a medium-to-full coverage. The finish leads me to believe that it would be great for both dry and oily skin. It’s perfect for both everyday and glam makeup. I strongly suggest that you go out and purchase this foundation because it has honestly changed my life.

I know a couple of people that don’t really like this, but I’m a big fan of the Maybelline Brow Drama Sculpting Brow Mascara in “Deep Brown.” I found that this keeps my brow hairs in place for the whole day and I don’t have to worry about them going AWOL. Albeit, the brush can be a bit difficult to work with, but once you get the hang of it, you love it! I use it both alone to amp up my brows on my “no makeup” days or over a brow pencil on days I opt for heavier makeup.

I have another skincare item. This is the Fresh Black Tea Instant Perfecting Mask. I snagged a sample of this product from another blogger and I instantly fell in love with it, which breaks my heart, considering the full-sized version is $92. After I use this, I find that my skin looks brighter, smoother and all-around healthier. I used this at night and in the morning, I saw that my breakouts have visibly reduced in size. It has a tingling sensation, so I wouldn’t recommend this for those of you that have sensitive skin, being that it may irritate your skin, but if your skin isn’t really sensitive, you will love this.

The last thing I found was the LUSH Ultrabland Facial Cleanser. Let me tell you that this completely revived my winter skin. I had an issue a couple months back where my skin reacted poorly with another product that I was testing. My skin was completely dried out and flaky and being that I typically have oily/combination skin, I had no idea what to do. I walked into my local LUSH and they referred me to this. Within a week, my skin was restored. It’s perfect for using as a daily cleanser, removing makeup and moisturizing your skin. I highly recommend this.

For the most part, I’ve really been enjoying the products that I’ve ran out of and I’m going to be repurchasing most of them. The only product that I’m kind of iffy about is the Smashbox eyebrow pencil.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on these products or learn about some of the products you’ve been trying out. Let me know what products I should try out because I’d love to test out new items!